Why Do We Ask for What We Already Have? Three Steps to Win with Confidence
- Sarah Velotta
- Feb 1, 2021
- 6 min read
I love when God speaks to us clearly at the most opportune times. I was praying yesterday morning about a difficult conversation I needed to have. I didn’t want to have the conversation, but the Lord had told me I needed to do so in order to ask for forgiveness and mend a relationship. As I prayed about the conversation, I asked God for the courage to speak the words that needed to be spoken and to do so in a way that would honor Him. He spoke back so clearly and said, “Why are you asking for what I’ve already given to you?” Hmm. He’s not wrong (not that He could be). God has already given me all the courage I’ll ever need.
Isn’t this what I wrote about in last week’s blog- the unopened presents? (You can find last week’s blog here.) I wrote about having all these gifts in Christ that come with salvation and I described the disparity of living life without using these divinely imputed blessings. I’ve mentioned before that my blog posts come from what I’m struggling with, experiencing at the time, and hearing from the Lord. I can imagine God thinking, “I told you last week that I’ve given you gifts that you’re not tapping into. Why are you asking for the gifts I’ve already told you are yours???” I feel like He has given me the Part 2 of last week’s post because I know these truths but I’m not applying them.
The Words We Say in Our Prayers
Have you ever thought about the words we say in our prayers? Some phrases we use quite often. How many times have you asked the Lord to be with you? I’m smiling as I type this because I ask Him that all the time. “Lord, please be with me as I go into this stressful day.” or “Lord, please be with us as we travel and keep us safe.” Or how about, “Lord, be with me as I have this difficult conversation with ________ (you fill in the blank).” I don’t know about you, but I plead that request often. The fact of the matter is, He is already with us.
As I looked up scripture to give evidence to my point, I was so encouraged by the comfort of these affirming passages:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
“ And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b
“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
Friends, if you have accepted Salvation and have a personal relationship with
Christ, He is already with you. If you haven’t taken that step, know that He desires to be with you and is waiting with arms wide open to welcome you into His Kingdom. (There’s nothing I’d love more than to share with you how you can take Him up on His offer! Reach out to me!)
Are there other common requests you make in your prayers, asking for something you’ve already been given? I often ask for courage, strength, and patience. And yet again, these are gifts I’ve already received. I love the verse in Psalm 31:24 that says, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!” The courage is there to be taken. We just have to grab hold as we trust in the Lord. Colossians 3:12 tells us, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;” We have been given these things to wear. But we need to put them on- we need to use them.
3 Steps to Battle with Confidence:
Y’all, I need an intervention. Clearly I know what God says, but I haven’t been practicing it. Have you or am I alone? I need a plan… some accommodations… some help. When I thought about what could help us to apply trust and not just talk about it, the following three steps came to mind:
Pray in confidence- When you pray about something, remember that the courage, the patience, the peace, the love, the abundance of God given gifts are already yours. Pray in confidence, knowing you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, waiting to activate the power you’ve received. Pray God’s truths. Jeremiah 17:7 says, “But Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose CONFIDENCE is in Him.” Verse 8 goes on to say, “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” I take that verse to mean those who have confidence in and trust in the Lord have nothing to fear and everything to gain.
Memorize scripture- In addition to prayer, one of the best ways to combat doubt, feelings of weakness, and uncertain situations is to quote scripture. If you’ve read my blog posts before, you know that one of my favorite scriptures is found in Isaiah 26:3- “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” That trust gives perspective of who’s fighting our battles. It gives confidence that the battle’s already been won. And it gives calm in the midst of chaos and difficult times. Quoting scripture and posting it in our frequently visited locations grounds us and give us the reassurance that God is with us, He’s given us everything we need, and we need not worry.
Recognize Satan’s voice- I can’t make a list of steps without a caution to be on guard and watch for Satan’s attack. His ultimate goal is to come between you and God. He wants us to feel weak and insignificant. He thrives on our negative, doubtful thoughts. Don’ give into His schemes. Recognize when he is trying to throw you off track and planting seeds of doubt and distraction in your mind. Stand strong. James 4:7 gives us great hope. It says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
The Picture of Confidence
My favorite part of the David and Goliath account is what happened right before the battle. Imagine the suspense. The Philistine Army, during this time, was the principal enemy of the Israelites. They were more wealthy and more advanced in technology than their foes. Then you have the representative of the Philistine Army, Goliath, standing just over a measly nine feet tall. No biggie, right? Goliath threw out a challenge to the Israelites to send an opponent, but no one accepted the call… until David came on the scene. Has anyone ever wondered how old David was when he fought Goliath? I wondered, so I did what all curious blog writers do… I Googled it. Multiple individuals, who have a lot more Biblical history knowledge than I, claim David to have been between 12 and 15. We know for sure he was a “youth” (1 Samuel 17:33). Are you following the disparity of this story. Think Andre the Giant (think Princess Bride)meets Cory from Boy Meets World. (Forgive me for the reference but I’m sooo out of touch with Pop Culture right now.)
Ok, do you have that mental picture in your head? Now think bigger. Andre the Giant was only 7’4”. Noooow, can you picture this? David steps forward and humbly says to King Saul, “Your servant will go and fight him.” I can’t imagine the look on Saul’s face. I wonder if he snickered before he responded. David talked Saul into this unlikely dual and that’s all it took. David grabbed five smooth stones from the stream along with his sling and he was ready for battle. A few words were exchanged between David and the giant before the first act of aggression. David assured Goliath that he would defeat him in the name of the Lord “for the battle is the Lord’s”. And then… are you ready? My favorite part of the entire drama filled story... 1 Samuel 17:48 says, “David RAN QUICKLY toward the battle line to meet him.” He wasn’t timid. He didn’t have to be coerced. He didn’t walk slowly towards the battle or try to hide. He RAN! QUICKLY! And do you know why he ran quickly? Because he knew WHO he was and he knew WHOSE he was. He knew he had everything he needed in the Lord. David was full of confidence.
What “giant” are you facing right now? What are you anticipating is just around the corner? What keeps you awake at night or keeps you from getting out of bed in the morning? Friends, the battle has already been won. You have everything you need to battle strong. Have faith in the one who made you. Trust in the path laid before you. Have confidence in the gifts God has given you- so much confidence that you run quickly to the battle because you know you fight from victory!
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